As the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ season begins to wind down, there are curiosities about who will join James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen in the Cavs’ starting lineup when the playoffs come around. Due to injuries and sporadic player availability, it’s been difficult to establish consistency in the first five since the beginning of the month, which won’t make the decision any easier.
However, as Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson has mentioned in the past, that’s why he has the job he does. It is up to him and his staff to ultimately make the tough choices, like who starts, who finishes, and how many guys play.
“We probably have to get to nine,” Atkinson said last week in Milwaukee. “I’m still evaluating who fits and who’s gonna take the lead in terms of getting in the rotation. I still think we haven’t made a clear decision on who those nine are.
“But it’s tough to play 10. You might be able to do it early in the first round; you can do it in the early games. But eventually, you get to nine or eight. We know that, but I still think we have to evaluate, especially our wings. We have a lot of wings right now.”
Realistically, the Cavs can choose whomever they please because of how many similar swingmen are at their disposal.
Here are the most likely candidates for that final starting spot.
Dean Wade
Atkinson loves the defensive versatility that Dean Wade brings to the table, and in turn, has rewarded him with the job when healthy. It makes sense because he is a 6-foot-9, 230-pound low-usage player who can knock down open threes and rebound. People get frustrated when he doesn’t make the shots and even more agitated when he turns them down, but the reality is the veteran forward just has to be a threat on the perimeter to space and draw closeouts.
The Cavs don’t need him to be a huge scorer; just look who he’s on the floor with. Don’t let box scores dictate your opinion of Wade. As long as he’s doing his job — defending, crashing the glass, and making the right next play, which includes shooting the ball — then he is the man for the job. He, Mobley, and Allen form a heck of a trio that makes it hard for any opponent to consistently produce against, which makes sense given that they’ve been playing together for five seasons.
Plus, if it’s decided to send him to the bench, Wade isn’t exactly the prolific scorer to provide a boost in that manner, the way most sixth men typically do.
Right off the bat, Atkinson has made it clear that Max Strus’ postseason spot is a lock. In four games, even on a restriction, he has averaged 23.5 minutes per contest. While Strus’ season debut is doing much of the heavy lifting, he is averaging 8.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on .440/.409/1.000 shooting splits. Similar to Wade, the 29-year-old doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective for Cleveland on a nightly basis.
Strus can handle the rock, however, and he’s proven capable with the Cavs’ rolling bigs in half-court scenarios in the past. He is a pocket passer with Allen in the two-man game, and Atkinson feels there is still potential there with Mobley on dribble handoffs, as he’s done with Bam Adebayo in Miami. Strus also has a unique knack for hitting contested threes, being in the right place at the right time for backtaps, and saving possessions with hustle plays.
He gives Cleveland solid strength at the 3, and he’s been the (healthy) everyday starter for Cleveland since signing as a free agent in the summer of 2023. If he’s physically prepared and ready for the grind of the postseason after this frustrating injury, he’ll be a huge factor regardless.
Jaylon Tyson
© Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
It’s not easy to change roles as much as Jaylon Tyson has had to this season, but he’s handled it in stride. Going from being one of the most important players on your team to playing fewer than 20 minutes in three straight games has to weigh on the mind. And yet, the second-year Rising Star continues to do what is asked of him in a specific role. Tyson was rewarded for that on Thursday night in Chicago, as he put together an 18-point, 11-rebound performance before suffering a toe injury.
Injury aside, is it fair to ask Tyson, who thrived as a secondary playmaker in the short roll next to Mitchell and Co. in the first half of the season, to do the same things as Wade or Strus? It feels like that puts him in a box of sorts, unlike what we saw for months prior. If he’s in the starting five, would he be limited to being an underutilized role player, or would Cleveland free him up to be him? There’s no questioning his commitment as an individual defender or the attitude he brings to the floor, though he’s been self-critical about losing opponents off-ball on backdoor cuts.
Understanding that guys have to pay their dues, it feels like Tyson’s earned his keep and shouldn’t be held back. If coming off the bench allows him to thrive in a looser unit as a facilitator and scorer, then so be it. It’s admirable that he’s willing to be who the team wants him to be, but maybe the coaches should think twice about what they’re asking of him.
Keon Ellis
Keon Ellis drew his first two starts for the Cavs in mid-March against the Dallas Mavericks twice. As a player he’s “still discovering,” Atkinson has a real affinity for how he screens and works in the pocket with his float game. In addition, Ellis has shown a burst by driving off perimeter closeouts, and Cleveland is pleased with his offensive rebounding rate increasing since his arrival.
It’s hard to argue against Ellis in terms of his defensive prowess. He sees plays before they happen, acts on them, and forces turnovers for the wine and gold on a nightly basis. Atkinson doesn’t mind playing him up, and he won’t hesitate to toss him in at the 4 in small-ball sets as well. Ellis makes a lot of logical sense as a starter because of his low usage and grit.
Sam Merrill
It has been a career season for Sam Merrill, who is averaging 12.8 points on a career-high 66.2% True Shooting. He has started in 33 of his 45 appearances this season, and it’s been almost an even split between playing at the 2 and the 3. Merrill is an off-ball threat with constant movement. His processing speed has improved tremendously with more reps, allowing him to establish chemistry with Harden and continuously thrive next to Mitchell.
Seemingly always on the floor, Merrill will give up his body to screen and defend despite being hunted. He’ll take charges and make sure he is there to contest. It appears that he is better suited at shooting guard because he’s not forced to guard taller, rangier wings, but he is a starting-caliber player in this league. You can’t just look at Merrill one-dimensionally anymore. He will make you pay off the dribble, get to the basket with cuts, and take advantage of any sliver of space.
Who is the right Cavs fit, though? 
Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
The Cavs have an abundance of talent in the wing room for the modern league. Because of the length and strength their potential opponents possess at the 3, Wade makes the most logical sense. Last year was the only time Cleveland’s been able to play a healthy version of him in the postseason, and he was the fringe 10th man in the rotation in the first round. Thanks to untimely injuries, the squad had to throw him into the fire when the Indiana Pacers series was getting away.
Wade has played only one postseason game alongside Mobley and Allen, for a whopping four minutes. One of the team’s most effective trios over the years has barely been able to suit up because of poor injury luck and a lack of opportunity. Wade, Mobley, and Allen shared the floor for 249 minutes last season, for example.
This year, in 163 minutes, the combination has a net rating of plus-17.2, with tremendous balance on both ends of the floor. Finally seeing this through past April in the starting five with talents like Harden and Mitchell could be the key to getting off to good starts defensively and setting the tone on the boards.
Good defense leads to good offense. It’s as simple as that.
Who gets to close the Cavs’ games is another story.